Childhood Friends
by angels-are-dicks
Summary: Spock and Jim befriend each other at a meeting between planets, and Jim discovers that there really is some human in the half-Vulcan child.


Underneath a table, a Vulcan child and his human friend sat cross-legged and silent. The meeting between their parents' councils had begun to bore them, so they had resorted to other means of entertainment. Spock knew, however, that the likelihood of his father supporting a game of any sort, especially in the presence of officials, was alarmingly slim, and thus had dragged his young friend under a table in the corner so that they were free of all judgement. Their small bodies were cramped together, but they found themselves comfortable in each other's' warmth.

James Tiberius Kirk's young, blue eyes were wild with excitement, and he was grinning widely; he revelled in rule breaking, the thrill of doing something you shouldn't, knowing that at any moment you could be caught. But he felt safe, for Spock was beside him.

"Let's play pretend!" He exclaimed, the glitter of adventure entering his deep blue eyes. His pointy-eared companion looked at him with confusion, one eyebrow slightly raised. Jim sighed in mock exasperation, smirking, and explained in the gentle voice of someone explaining to a toddler that 1+1 equals 2 that "We should use our imagination to make pretend things real."

Spock considered this for a moment.

"That sounds highly illogical-" He began, but Jim had placed his small hands over both of Spock's slender ones, and was clasping them together, leaving two fingers from each hand sticking out so that Spock's hands vaguely resembled some sort of gun. Spock's eyes moved from his hands to his friend's face.

"That's your phaser." Jim muttered under his breath, his hands mimicking Spock's. "It has two settings, stun and kill. I'm the captain of the USS-" He paused for a moment, struggling to think of a name for his new starship.

"What about the USS Kelvin?" Spock whispered. "That was your father's ship, was it not?"

Jim froze in shock. He blinked in surprise that this boy knew who his father was, and at the mention of the ship his father had died in his heart had twanged with some sort of dull grief. He quickly recovered, for he reasoned that his father was so brave that it was only right that the whole galaxy knew his name.

"It was yes." He swallowed back his tears and coughed quietly before continuing. "I am the Captain of the recovered and repaired USS Kelvin and you are my first officer. We've beamed down to an undiscovered planet and are surrounded by hostile life forms."

Spock nodded and settled himself into a kneeling position under the table, his phaser held to his face. Jim looked to him and grinned before settling into the same position. He dropped the phaser and brought his hand up to his mouth.

"Kirk to Kelvin," He muttered. Then repeated "Kirk to Kelvin." He dropped the apparent communicator and sighed. "Communications are down. Spock, we're going to have to fight our way out. Set phasers to stun."

"Yes, Jim." Spock said, his puppy dog brown eyes looking to his new friend with a warmth usually reserved for his mother.

Jim looked at him sternly. "That's Captain to you, Mr Spock." Although his voice was cold, he couldn't keep the happiness out of his eyes.

So the two boys, cramped under the table, turned and shuffled about on their knees, making quiet _whoosh _ noises, their arms spasming with the recoil every time they shot down an enemy (each passing official became a target.).

After a particularly strong recoil force from Jim's phaser caused him to topple backwards into Spock's lap, both of them falling into a graceless heap just outside the tablecloth's cover, they decided that they need a bigger space in which to defeat their foes. They sprinted out of the main room, dodging artfully in and out of the crowd, crawling under tables to avoid being seen. Spock reached the door first, out of breath but still holding his phaser-shaped hands to his face. When Jim dive-rolled through the open doorway, Spock raised a sceptical eyebrow at the necessity of his friend's gymnastics, which he ignored. He looked around to check the coast for life forms, before reporting to his first officer that it was clear. Spock nodded his acknowledgement and followed his captain through a door that had been left ajar slightly. It led into a well-furnished cabin, probably belonging to one of the crew members on board the starship their planets' councils were using to host their meeting. Jim made sure the door closed behind him before he dropped the phaser shape of his hands. He was breathing heavily, his cheeks red from exertion, but grinning all the same. Spock was busy looking around at the cabin, his lips parted slightly in admiration.

"Never been in a starship cabin before?" Jim gasped between breaths, his sandy hair plastered across his forehead with sweat. Spock looked around at him briefly.

"No, I have not." Spock raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be implying that you have, however."

Jim nodded, regaining his breath and moving forwards to perch himself on the end of the bed that took up a large portion of the room.

"Pike brings me along with him, sometimes, if I nag him enough. I want to be captain of my own ship someday." He added as an afterthought. He patted the end of the bed, the space beside him, and asked Spock to sit. Spock drew his eyes away from the control panel on the wall and moved himself so that he sat stiffly next to Jim, who was slouched, his legs swinging rhythmically into the side of the bed. "What do you want to do when you grow up Spock?" Jim turned to his friend, his expression that of genuine curiosity.

"My father wishes for me to apply for the Vulcan Science Academy, therefore giving me no choice but to comply." Spock's voice, usually void of emotion, hinted that this was something he was less than happy about. His eyes had dropped to his shoes, spotlessly clean, and a blush of green had arisen on the tips of his pointed ears. Jim's eyes widened in pity.

"Well I think you'd make a wonderful first officer on my ship," Jim said quietly, a consoling warmth in his voice. Spock kept his eyes down, but the blush increased in size, moving to his cheeks.

"I must make my father proud." He muttered. "And he does not approve of the Federation."

Jim stood up sharply in indignation. "To Hell with your father, Spock; live your life for you and _only _you, and don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do because that's not their right." Jim tucked his hand under Spock's chin and lifted his face so that his brown eyes were forced to meet his own, which were burning with a raging passion. He quietened his voice to a whisper. "The Federation would be lucky to have someone like you on board one of their starships. You'd be the best first officer in the world, I bet."

Spock's eyes were glistening with a thin layer of tears. "Jim…" Tears were choking back the words but he managed to force them out. "No one on my own planet likes me. My classmates make fun of me because I am half-human, an illogical being with _feelings _and _emotions_. What is to stop the whole crew from making fun of me? My pointed ears and eyebrows are not part of your human anatomy, and thus it makes me different, in both inside and outside appearance." He tugged at his ears as if wishing to pull them off, a scowl contorting his young face. Jim grabbed his friend's hands and held them tightly away from his ears, and opened his mouth to object, but Spock stood up and started to scream, a scream full of years of tucked away grief and pain and loneliness, all spilling out at once. It hurt Jim's heart to know that there was so much pain in someone so young.

"I'm different, Jim!" He cried. "I'm different!" Tears were falling from his eyes, his face distorted with pain. Jim moved forward, closer, to comfort his friend, but was pushed away forcefully. So forcefully, in fact, that Jim stumbled back and hit his head on the control panel Spock had been admiring earlier. He stepped away, blinking in shock, stars in front of his eyes. A single spark flew from the electronic panel, scorching Jim's cheek, and the lights were suddenly extinguished in the room. The silence that followed was punctuated only by Spock's sniffles.

Jim didn't dare move. His cheeks were burning painfully and he still hadn't quite regained his balance or sight; there was two of everything, and he was swaying on his feet. The room was pitch black. The silence continued.

"Jim?" Jim heard a soft whisper in the dark, just in front of him. He stepped forwards, towards the voice, and felt his friend's shoulders. He had half a mind to slap him, but when he felt his shoulders moving with each harsh sob he thought better of it.

"It's okay, Spock." He muttered, comforting him. "I'm here. Let's find the door."

Spock nodded, forgetting that it was too dark to see, and turned away from Jim. He stretched his hands out in front of him, to where he thought the door was. He felt Jim clasp one of his hands in his own, and welcomed it, holding his friend's clammy hand tightly. The felt forwards together, stepping cautiously in the dark, slowly. Before they could reach the door, however, it opened, and light streamed through into the room. Whereas Jim sagged with relief, Spock had wrenched his hand free and was standing away from Jim, tensed and fearful, trying to wipe away his tears with his sleeve. He hoped earnestly that his father, who was looming over them both with coldness in his eyes, wouldn't see them.

"What are you doing in here, Spock?" Sarek's voice was calm and steady, but there was a hidden anger that only Spock could hear. Spock stepped into the light of the corridor, and slouched his shoulders, looking down at his shoes and trying to disappear. He looked so small.

"I-" Spock's voice broke on the first word, and he had to blink back tears again. His father saw this, and his brow furrowed, yet if it was in concern or anger Jim didn't know. He kneeled so that his face was level with his young son's, so that Spock was forced to draw his eyes away from the floor to meet his father's cold glare.

"You should be in the meeting room with your own race; this human child has made you weak. The sophistication of the Vulcan council is above you, it seems. You will have to stay home next time. Come with me." Sarek stood up and turned to the door, grasping Spock's hand and dragging him along, but found his way blocked by a young, sandy haired boy with blue eyes gleaming with rage and his cheek red with a burn.

"You have no right to tell your son what he should and shouldn't be doing!" Jim's small body was shaking with rage, but his voice was perfectly steady, dripping with hatred. "It's his life, not yours, and any decision he makes should be his own. The federation would be honoured to have such a talented man in their ranks, and you don't even seem to appreciate him. He's twice the man you'll ever be." Jim clenched his fists by his sides and glared up at Sarek, his eyes like ice. Sarek's nostrils flared in silent resentment, but walked calmly out of the corridor and into the main room without speaking a word.

"Stand up to them, Spock!" Jim yelled, but Spock and his father had already disappeared.

"I can't believe this ship is going to the scrap heap!" Jim's exclamation echoed through the empty corridor, along with his sharp, irregular footsteps. Spock's followed him, precise and rhythmic. They were both dressed in the smart, red uniforms of Starfleet Academy, and were all alone on the starship.

Kirk's arms were spread wide and he was spinning his way down the corridor like a man that's just seen God in the heavens, trying to take in every inch of the ship. He and Spock, who had his harms behind him, his body perfectly upright, made their way down the corridor to a pair of large, double doors at the end. Kirk dropped his arms and grinned at Spock, who raised a doubtful eyebrow. Ramming open the doors with as much grace as an octopus on roller skates, Kirk smiled nostalgically at the empty room.

"Remember this, Spock?" He muttered, looking back at his friend who was still standing in the corridor. "Remember the table, over there by the corner?" He pointed to an empty corner of the room. "We sat there, you and I, on the day we first met." When Spock kept silent, Kirk rolled his eyes at him in exasperation. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Spock."

"I have not, Jim." Spock said, finally. "I remember it well. You were my captain."

Jim laughed, loud and pure, like a child again. "Yes, Spock, I was your captain. Now…" He turned around again and walked out of the room, scanning each door he passed, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Where is it?" He was talking more to himself than Spock, now, but Spock still followed him as he paced the corridor. Finally, he grinned and tapped a door with his knuckles, which opened for him to reveal a simple cabin. He sat himself heavily on the end of the bed that took up a large portion of the room, patting the space beside him and telling Spock to sit.

"Wasn't it here that I told you that you'd be the best first officer in the fleet, Spock?" He proclaimed proudly as Spock sat himself down beside him.

"You did." Spock paused for a moment, remembering other things. He was brought out of his reverie by Jim slapping his arm playfully.

"I think I placed a bet on it, too. So what do you owe me, Mr Spock?" He held out a hand, as if waiting for a pile of credits to fall from the sky. Instead, Spock reached over and folded down three of Kirk's fingers, leaving only the index and middle fingers. He then mirrored this position and placed his fingers over Kirk's, a light green blush arising on his cheeks.

"Thank you, Jim." Spock muttered quietly, his warm brown eyes meeting Kirk's Bombay-Sapphire-Blue ones. "For everything."

There was a pause.

"And what's this?" Jim enquired, a slight smile lifting his lips.

Spock drew his hand away, blushing fiercely now. Kirk looked to his friend in confusion. "It is a Vulcan Kiss, Jim."

Jim's eyes widened, and Spock stood up, composing himself and walking towards the door with a straight back and perfect posture. His eyes looked down at his shoes, spotlessly clean, and he left Kirk behind as he made his way down the corridor.

Kirk recovered himself, jumping up, walking out of the cabin then breaking into a sprint. Spock heard his footsteps and turned towards him, just as Kirk reached him.

"Wait," Kirk muttered, caressing Spock's face with one of his hands while the other grasped Spock's hand in a Vulcan Kiss. The Vulcan blinked in surprise, and Kirk leaned in and pressed his lips against Spock's warm mouth, bringing his other hand to Spock's face as if to hold him closer. It was only a brief kiss, but it was soft, and gentle, and full of warmth. Their first kiss.

Kirk broke away and laughed quietly. Spock blinked a few times, as if trying to register what had just happened.

"I can see why you humans find this pleasing," he said, after a few moments of thought. Jim laughed and, because the sound was so pure and wonderful, Spock laughed too.


End file.
